Six Ways to Evict Kitchen Pantry Pests

Have a family of critters overtaking your kitchen pantry? Whether you have discovered moths, weevils, small beetles, cockroaches, or ants, nothing is more disgusting than finding bugs around your food. 

Fortunately, you can take charge of the situation and evict these pests right away by following these six steps:

1. Empty Out Your Pantry
2. Utilize Airtight Containers
3. Buy Less
4. Place Glue Traps
5. Use Herbal Helpers
6. Wipe Away Their Pheromone Trail

Read on to learn different ways of making these pests go away for good!

Weevils are one of the most commonly found types of pantry invaders. Also known as flour bugs, you may find weevils feasting inside of your bag of rice, flour, or beans, according to The Spruce.com. If you discover an infestation of weevils or any other bugs in your pantry, the first step you should take is to completely empty out your pantry and use your vacuum’s crevice tool to get into all the cracks and crevices.

Next, spray down your pantry with a solution of vinegar and water and wipe it off with a clean, dry towel. Resist the urge to spray any chemical insecticides in your pantry, as this is dangerous to your family’s health. 

Before returning each package to your pantry, inspect each one for tears or holes. If a package is opened, Food Network.com recommends checking it for contamination by emptying out the contents onto a large baking sheet and using a flashlight to search for bugs.

When you bring home your groceries, the only protection against bugs that your food has is the cardboard box that they came in. Cardboard doesn’t present much of a challenge to a hungry insect. This is why it is important to seal your foods like cereals, grains, flour, pasta, and sugar, in airtight containers. Not only will this make it impossible for bugs to get inside, but it will also make your pantry a more organized place. 

To learn more tips about how to organize your pantry, check out  Simple Ideas for Organizing Your Messy Kitchen Pantry by Impeccable Closets.

Are you someone who likes to be prepared and buy large quantities of foods in bulk? Although it is admirable to make sure you never run out of anything, it can become problematic in keeping your pantry a bug-free zone.



Some people buy so much they forget that they even have the item, and they buy it again. Then the food sits in the pantry indefinitely, just waiting for bugs to come in and take over. Buying in smaller quantities ensures better quality control. The food isn’t as likely to pass its expiration date, and bugs aren’t as likely to creep into an opening in the bag and make it their new home.

Nothing makes your skin crawl quite like the sight of roaches scurrying about in a kitchen pantry. Roaches are one of the most difficult bugs to get rid of. They feed on all of the little sugary, starchy crumbs that have accumulated in your pantry. Any foods that emanate a smell are fair game for becoming a roach’s next meal.



Even if you have just cleaned out your pantry as suggested, roaches are not going to disappear overnight. To better assess the situation, one thing you can do is place a few glue traps inside of your pantry. The traps are safe to use around food and will give you a good idea of how serious your roach problem really is and what to do next.

To prevent moths from coming back into your kitchen pantry, all you need is a little herbal magic. Bob Vila.com recommends gathering different herbs, such as bay leaves or peppermint, and placing your chosen herb within your pantry. To keep it from becoming too messy in your pantry, you can place them in a cloth bag or container with holes on the top.

Ants find their way to and from their nests by following a trail of pheromones that their fellows have left behind. One natural way to get rid of ants in your kitchen pantry is to remove their scent trail. To accomplish this, Healthline recommends mixing glass cleaner with liquid dish soap. Spray this mixture in places where you have noticed ants gathering. Next, wipe most of it off, leaving a “light” film.

Don’t let these pesky critters get the best of you! All you need to do is give your pantry a good scrub down, throw away your contaminated items, and seal your cereals, flour, and grains in airtight containers. Leave some herbal goodies lying around your pantry and those creepy creatures won’t have a chance.

• https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-a-weevil-2656439#:~:text=Similar%20to%20other%20pantry%20pests,and%20feed%20inside%20the%20food
• https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/kitchen-fixes/everything-about-pantry-pests
• https://www.impeccableclosets.com/seven-simple-ideas-organizing-messy-kitchen-pantry
• https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-get-rid-of-pantry-moths/
• https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-kill-ants#20-ways-to-stop-ants